Do you know what dog breed is the samartest?
- Thread starter wildwings811
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I don't think any dog breed is smarter than another. It all goes into how much training and effort the owners put into their dogs. Some people will get a dog because they are said to be so intelligent and smart and their dog will turn out to be the complete opposite. While others will get a dog that is not considered to be intelligent at all and they will have one of the most obedient best behaved dogs you could imagine. It all depends on the owner and the dog.
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Okay, let's talk dog "intelligence" ..
So which breed is smarter? The dog that does everything its told to do, or the dog that gets its owners to think that he can't do anything (and therefore gets to do whatever he wants? .. *LOL*)
Trying to list dogs by intelligence is ridiculous. All you can do is test the dog's tractability or trainability. When Stanley Coren came out with his book "The Intelligence of Dogs" it was a great disservice to dog breeds to list them by intelligence. First, there's no true way to judge intelligence in dogs .. and second, it made people think that they should get these "smart" breeds and give up on the "dumb" ones.
There are definitely different levels of trainability in dogs, but a good trainer doesn't find that to be a block. If you want a top obedience dog, then yes - you would probably go with one of the traditional obedience breeds. It would be easier. But I have German shepherds (near the top of the list) and chows (near the bottom). My chows are every bit as smart as the shepherds but they do learn differently. They're a very independent breed that can be challenging - but I've taught them scent articles and advanced obedience moves and some pretty amazing tricks. My youngest, now just 16 months old, heels off-leash beautifully not only forward but in left 360° pivots and backing up. She knows dozens of commands consistently. We're working in freestyle and I'm in the process of teaching her to fetch a beer from the fridge .. and she's capable of all of this, because I've found ways to work with her independent nature and she has a great mind.
What I've found overall is that dogs are limited in training not by their intelligence (or lack thereof) - but by the person doing the training. When you really understand dog behavior, you can find ways to work through any problems.
Melanie and the gang in Alaska
So which breed is smarter? The dog that does everything its told to do, or the dog that gets its owners to think that he can't do anything (and therefore gets to do whatever he wants? .. *LOL*)
Trying to list dogs by intelligence is ridiculous. All you can do is test the dog's tractability or trainability. When Stanley Coren came out with his book "The Intelligence of Dogs" it was a great disservice to dog breeds to list them by intelligence. First, there's no true way to judge intelligence in dogs .. and second, it made people think that they should get these "smart" breeds and give up on the "dumb" ones.
There are definitely different levels of trainability in dogs, but a good trainer doesn't find that to be a block. If you want a top obedience dog, then yes - you would probably go with one of the traditional obedience breeds. It would be easier. But I have German shepherds (near the top of the list) and chows (near the bottom). My chows are every bit as smart as the shepherds but they do learn differently. They're a very independent breed that can be challenging - but I've taught them scent articles and advanced obedience moves and some pretty amazing tricks. My youngest, now just 16 months old, heels off-leash beautifully not only forward but in left 360° pivots and backing up. She knows dozens of commands consistently. We're working in freestyle and I'm in the process of teaching her to fetch a beer from the fridge .. and she's capable of all of this, because I've found ways to work with her independent nature and she has a great mind.
What I've found overall is that dogs are limited in training not by their intelligence (or lack thereof) - but by the person doing the training. When you really understand dog behavior, you can find ways to work through any problems.
Melanie and the gang in Alaska